Electric lighting device for motor-vehicle lamps.



' H. D. GRINNELL.

ELEOTBIO LIGHTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE LAI EPS.

APPLICATION FILED M13021, 1908.

Patented Dec.10, 19 12.

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WITNESSES v INVENTO JfizraZcZfl-"Z'ireit 5Y2 I ATTOHNEYS- v H. D. GRINNELL. ELEOTBIO LIGHTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE LAMPS.

Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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W W Y I ATTORNEYS- w/rlvissss H. D. GRINNELL.

ELEOTBIULIGHTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE LAMPS.

APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 21, 1908.

1 ,O47,045. Patented Dec. 10, 1912.

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WITNESSES INVENTOI? ATTOHNE rs UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HAROLD n. GRINNELL, or NEW YORK, N. Y.

ELECTRIC LIGHTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR-VEHICLE LAMPS.

-Lamps, of which the following is a full,

clear,

The object of the invention is to provide and exact description.

a new and improved electric lighting de vice for lighting acetylene and other gas lamps of automobiles and other motor vehicles, in a very simple and convenient manner, without stopping the vehicle or requiring the operator to leave the vehicle.

The invention consists of novel features and .parts and combinations of the same, which will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a front View of the switch in normal or inactive position relative to the electric lighting device when the gas supply for the lamp and the electric current for the sparker are turned off; Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3; Fig. 3 is a rear face view of the same; Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the sparkers; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of the improvement, showing the switch in position after having turned on the gas supply for the lamps, cut oil the current for the igniting device of the main cylinder and switched the current 'to the sparker of the first vehicle lamp; and Fig. 6 is a like view of the same and showing an additional shunt circuit and switch for lighting the lamps when the vehicle is at a standstill.

As indicated in Fig. 5, three acetylene or other gas lamps A, A, A of any approved construction, are mounted in suitable places on the motor vehicle, and the burners B for the said gas lamps A, A, A are supplied with gas by a pipe C provided witha gas cock or valve D, connected with the gas supply tank E, arranged on the running board or other part of the motor vehicle. Across the burners B of the gas lamps A,-. A, A are arranged the spaced electrodes F, F, F, F and F". F of the sparkers for'the said burners, to light the gas by jump sparks, as

Specification of Letters Patent.

invented a new and Improved .igniting devices I,

Patented Dec. 10, 1912 Application filed March 21. 1908. Serial No. 422,507.

the gas issues from the burners, as hereinafter more fullyexpla-ined.

The electrodes F. F F are connected by a. branch wire G with the wire G connecting the induction coil II with the cylinders I of the motor, each cylinder having the usual igniting device I for igniting the explosive mixture at the proper time, con trolled by the commutator H, connected with the induction coil H and the battery H or other source of electricity supply, and likewise connected with the induction coil H. The electrodes F. F and F are connected by wires J, J. J 2 with binding posts K, K. 1' held on the switch board L attached to the motor vehicle, adjacent to the operator, and on the said switch board is arranged a main binding post N connected by a wire N with the induction coil H, and another main binding post N held on the said switch board L is connected by a wire N with the igniting device I of one of the cylinders I. It will be understood that the binding posts may be connected with any of the cylinders, and the commutator H ,is shown as connected only to the cylinder which has been chosen for convenience.

On the switchboard L is journaled a shaft 0, on which is secured an arm 0 carrying a pinion O in mesh with an internal gear wheel P secured to the rear face of the switch board L, and formed of sections P, P P, P", P, of which the sections P, P and P are of insulating material, while the sections P and P are of metal and connected with. the binding posts K and K. The main binding post N is located at the end of the insulating section P, and the binding post K previously mentioned, is located at the end of the insulating section P (see Fig. 3), and when the arm 0 and its pinion O are in the extreme positions,

' the pinion contacts with the posts N and K.

The main binding post N is connected by a wire N with the shaft 0, so that when the latter and its arm 0' are in the position shown in Fig. 3, then the circuit for the for the several cylinders I of the motor, are closed successively by the commutator H in the usual manner, but when the pinion 0 moves out of contact with the binding post N then the currents for the igniting devices I are interrupted.

The shaft 0 is pressed on by a spring 0 to normally hold the pinion O in contact with the main binding post N, and on the.

said shaft 0 is secured a pinion 0 adapted to be engaged by a segmental gear wheel Q, mounted to swing on a stud Q held on the switch board L, the segmental gear wheel Q being provided with a handle Q3, normally resting against a stop pin Q attached to the switch board L. The segmental gear wheel Q whenin the normal position shown in Fig. 1, is in mesh with a segmental gear wheel R, having its shaft R journaled in the switch board L, and the shaft R is connected by a universal joint R with a shaft R connected by a universal joint R with the stem D of the gas cock or valve D, for turning the gas on or off, that is, for allowing the gas to pass from the reservoir E to the several burners B, or to cut off the gas when the lamps are not used. By the arrangement described, the operator can turn the valve D more or less, to regulate the flow of gas to the several burners.

Vhen the handle Q is in the normal position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, then the gas cock D is turned off, the electric circuit for the igniting devices I is closed subject to the action of the commutator H, and the electric current is switched off from the sparkers on the burners B of the several gas lamps A, A, A Now when it is" desired tolight the gas lamps A, A, A it is only necessary for the operator to swing the handle Q temporarily over in the direction of the arrow a, so that the segmental gear wheel Q, first turns the segmental gear wheel R, whereby the shaft R is turned and with it the gas cock D, to allow the gas to pass from the reservoir E to the several burners .B. The segmental gear wheel Q finally leaves the segmental gear wheel R at the time the cock D is open, and then on the further swinging of the handle Q in the direction of the arrow a the segment-a1 gear wheel Q, moves in mesh with the pinion 0", thus turning the latter and the shaft 0, whereby the arm 0 is caused to swing in the direction of the arrow 6, thus moving the pinion 0 out of contact with the main binding post N thereby interrupting the circuit for the igniting devices I of the motor cylinders I. The pinion 0 after passing over the insulating section P moves in mesh with the metallic section P carrying the binding post K, whereby the circuit for the electrodes F, F is closed, and a jump spark passes from one electrode to the other across the path of the gas now issuing through the burner B. Thus the gas is ignited and consequently the lamp A is lighted. Further turning of the arm 0 in the direction of the arrow a causes the pinion O to leave the section I and pass over the insulating section I onto the metallic section P carrying the binding post K, so that the E current for the electrodes F, F is turned off, while the current for the next pair of electrodes F, F is turned on and consequently the second lamp A is lighted by the jump spark igniting the gas issuing from the burner B of the second lamp A. Further turning of the arm 0 in the direction of the arrow 7) moves the pinion out of mesh with the section I and in mesh with the insulating section P, so that the current for the electrodes F", F is disconnected, and the pinion Q in finally coming in contact with the binding post K closes the electric current for the electrodes F, F, whereby the third lamp A is lighted. The operator now releases the handle Q so that the spring 0 returns the shaft 0, the segmental gear wheel Q, the handle Q and the arm 0, until the segmental gear wheel Q, finally leaves the pinion O and stands midway between the said pinion O and the segmental gear wheel R. As soon as the segmental gear wheel Q, leaves the pinion O, the spring 0 continues the return movement of the shaft 0 and the arm 0, until the pinion 0 makes contact with the main binding post N so that the circuit for the igniting devices I is again closed.

The above described movement of the handle Q is very quick, so that only a temporary interruption of the current for the igniting devices I takes place, but use is made of this electric current for producing jump sparks at the electrodes F, F, F F and F, F, as above explained.

It will be noticed that as the handle Q does not return to the final normal position, it is evident that the gas cock D remains turned on, and when it is desired to turn out the lamps it is only necessary for the operator to swing the handle Q} back to its final position on the stop pin Q and in doing so the segmental gear wheel Q, will turn the segmental gear wheel R to turn off the gas cock D and thus shut off the supply of gas from the reservoir E to the several burners B.

Invorder to permit of lighting the lamps A, A, A at a time the vehicle is at a standstill, a shunt circuit S having a switch S (see Fig. 6) is used to directly connect the battery H with the induction coil H. The switch S is normally open and is only closed when it is desired to light the lamps A, A, A at the time the vehicle is at a standstill, it being understood that after the switch S is closed the operator swings the lever Q around, the same as above described, to turn on the gas and to successively close the circuits for the several sets of electrodes F, F, F F and F, F and thus light one lamp after the other. When this has been done, the lever Q is released and the switch S is again opened.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In an electric lighting system, a source the second set of sparkers intothe circuit of the said cut out sparker.

' 2. An electric lighting system for motor vehicles, in combination with a sparking system for the motors of the vehicle, and a manually-controlled switch mechanism, the said electric lighting system having a gas lamp, a source of gas supply for the gas lamp, an electric sparker for the said gas lamp, and an electric circuit for the gas lamp sparker, and the said sparking system having a source of electricity, a set of motor sparkers for the motor cylinders, circuits for the said motor sparkers, means for controlling the said motor sparker circuits for electrically connecting the sparkers in the said set of motor sparkers in rotation with the source of electricity, and the said manually controlled switch mechanism having means to cut out the sparker circuit for one of the said set of motor sparkers and to connect the said circuit for the lamp sparker with the circuit of the said out out motor sparker.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.-

HAROLD D. GRINNELL.

\Vitnesses:

THEO. G. Hos'rER, JOHN P. DAVIS. 

